Norse Peak (6856’)

First I will qualify that Norse Peak is actually a hike; there is a trail that leads to the summit. I put it under this heading as it is one of the peaks listed on the Mountaineers "100 Peaks in Mt. Rainier" list. On August 9th, 2023 I started the hike at 2 PM under patchy cloudy skies hoping for clearing on the peak. Luckily I was rewarded, with the fast moving clouds below peak level obscuring some of the distant views, but the local views didn't disappoint. Much of this hike is through the burn zone of the 2017 Norse Peak fire, eerie but beautiful nonetheless. Highlights on the trail: 3 immature elk skittering out of the way and a hummingbird that hovered in front of me as I was taking a photograph.